Local News

Two Levy County soldiers who died in combat in Afghanistan just weeks apart may be honored with stretches of state highways named for them.
Army Sgt. Karl A Campbell, 34, of Chiefland, who only had a short time left in Afghanistan before returning home on holiday leave to see his son, Carl, 4, his wife and step-children, who were at Fort Campbell, Ky., would be memorialized with a stretch of U.S. 19 from 4th street to Park Avenue in Chiefland.

In a quick decision Tuesday, the School Board of Levy County passed an addition to the contract between the district and the teachers union that made salary steps for teachers a negotiated item effective July 1, 2011.
Previously, the step increases in pay were automatic. Now they must be negotiated annually. During a Sept. 14 impasse hearing, the board voted unanimously to make the steps negotiable. The decision was officially added to the current contract Tuesday.

The proposed Tri-County Hospital for Chiefland has won almost $52 million of the $70 million in economic stimulus bond money it requested from the state's pool of federal Economic Recovery Zone Bonds approved by Congress in 2009.

The Levy County Board of Commissioners was notified Thursday by the state Division of Bond Finance that it will receive $51.935 million of the bond money. And as more money comes into the bond pool — returned by municiaplities and county governments that cannot or are unable to use the money — more will flow to the hospital.

An Atlanta-based water company has inquired about buying the county-operated Manatee Water System, which serves 64 households in the Chiefland area, and University Oaks water system, which serves 125 households in the Bronson area.
Assistant County Coordinator Dick Tummond mentioned the inquiry from Amnisos of Atlanta at Tuesday's regular Levy County Board of Commissioners meeting, sparking a discussion of whether the county should sell and questions about how to handle a sale.

The Children's Table, the Levy County Commission and the mayors of Cedar Key, Inglis, Otter Creek, Chiefland, Fanning Springs, Bronson, and Williston have joined forces to start a food bank for Levy County residents and set a goal of collecting 100,000 cans by Thanksgiving.
Canned goods can be dropped off at the city and town halls, and the county courthouse. If you have a substantial donation, please call Levy County Food Bank at 352-486-6525 for a pick up.
The following is a list of items being sought.
Can Goods Only

Republican Dave Feigin of Cedar Key began a campaign for House of Representatives, District 10, facing off against incumbent Leonard Bembry, a Democrat.
Feigin said his everyday work experiences keep him more in touch with the working population than his opponent has been for the past two years. Feigin is a 24-year retired veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, who owns a thriving small business with his wife, Cris, in Cedar Key. Before leaving the service, he attained a rank of E6, and had authority over eight USCG stations and two USCG Auxiliary Stations.

A participant slams the ball in the 16th Annual Tommy Usher Log-A-Load for Kids Golf Classic at Chiefland Golf and Country Club Thursday. The event raised more than $26,000. See more in Sports and Multimedia sections on this website.

When the Chiefland Walmart Supercenter was built it did not include one amenity that others like the Supercenters in Dunnellon and Perry have — a gas station with prices as competitive as those on the merchandise in the stores.
Some say the reason is that the site of the Walmart is not suitable to house a gas station.
But the wait for competitive gas prices may be over.
Murphy Oil USA, Inc. has paid $725,000 for a 1.12 acre site at 2126 N. Young Blvd., according to the Levy County Property Appraiser's website.